Infected?
by historialawz
Summary: The four remaining survivors were fighting for a way out of the woods when they suddenly encountered Ain, a not-yet-fully-infected hunter. Zoey couldn't stand seeing herself leaving the still-conscious infected behind and so she'd decided to bring him along. Just as everything seemed fine, the change of the hunter's nature proved Zoey's instincts wrong.
1. Chapter 1

If she didn't make the wrong decision in the first place, this wouldn't be happening.

Zoey was dashing through the woods, her slim legs bringing her as fast as they could ever manage. She wasn't sure where was she heading but it didn't matter anymore. The only thing she wanted by then, was to meet her comrades again. Her eyes began to sting at the thought. They had warned her about this. Reaching her arm up, she wiped her tears away furiously with her sleeve. Why didn't she listen to them?

An ear-piercing shriek pulled her away from the overwhelming thoughts. Her gaze turned to the direction where the noise came from and she frowned. She couldn't see anything besides trees and bushes. That was when a loud thud was heard. He was there. Right in front of her. She took a deep, shaky breath and turned to face him fully.

 _Ain._

"Easy now, boy." Holding one hand out, Zoey took a small step back. She glanced cautiously at the ground as she didn't want to startle the hunter by stepping onto a twig or two. The taller figure remained in a crouched position. He watched the human closely while releasing several growls. There wasn't anything she could do so she decided to take the biggest risk. Perhaps, just perhaps, this would work.

Hesitatingly, the woman placed both hands on the hunter's cheeks and cupped them ever so gently, "Ain. Listen, Ain. We're almost there. I don't have time for all this. I don't know what the heck is happening but as long as we stick together, there's always a way out."

The infected stared at her, his expression unreadable. "Come on, I believe in you." Zoey whispered as she bowed her head, attempting to hide her tears. She was preparing for the worst.

 _ **Flashback.**_

The trio was watching one another's back while walking around the woods, hoping that they could make it out alive. Suddenly, there was a small noise and everyone's heads snapped to the sound. "I hate twigs." Francis muttered under his breathe and that made everyone else sigh in relief. "Man, you sure did scare me!" The only female in the group couldn't help but chuckle at her own timidness. Her words only earned a small laugh from Louis and they all fell silent once again.

A loud shriek came from the back. It was a hunter. Everyone held onto their weapons and began to search for the traces of the infected. Before they realise, something large fell onto the ground. He weakly stood up and held up his hands as if surrendering, "Please, don't shoot!" He called out, not making any attempt to attack. "What the fuck?" Francis raised a confused brow.

The figure's appearance was that of a hunter's and yet, he was not only talking. He was begging to stay alive. Zoey was the first to put down her weapon, "Show yourself." She demanded and the other quickly obeyed. He took a few steps forward before glancing up at the survivors. From this angle, Zoey could see the dried tears on his cheeks. "What are you?" The woman questioned, squinting her eyes to take a better look at the large figure before her.

"I-I think I'm still in a early stage of the flu." He stuttered while looking anxiously at the three males behind Zoey. "It's not just the flu anymore, you dumbass." Francis roared in laughter, earning a glare from Zoey, who was trying to hear the explanation. "Were you the one who shrieked in the beginning?" The woman asked, earning a slow nod from the hunter, "You! You know that could attract a horde, right? Why the fuck would you do that?" She screamed, almost forgetting the fact that he could attack her if he wanted to.

"I'm so sorry! I didn't even mean to do so. I-I couldn't help it. I was so happy to find survivors and it slipped off my tongue." He cried. Zoey nodded and turned to the others behind her, "We can't just leave him here. Let's take him with us, it seemed like he can't even pounce properly." She giggled at the memory of the hunter falling clumsily from the branch. "But what if he suddenly loses it and goes batshit insane?" Francis asked, still grasping onto his weapon tightly. "He's not at that stage yet. We'll just see if we can help him out." Zoey nodded to herself, "He's still human and we all need to stick together."Her words earned a large smile from the hunter.

"This plan sucks."Louis stated, "But I believe in you, Zoey." "Thanks." The woman smiled warmly. "If you try anything," Francis spoke suddenly, "I won't hesitate to pull this trigger." The hunter abruptly nodded and stayed close to Zoey as they continued to search for the next safe house.

 **Author's note : Yoooo! Thanks for reading my story! I'm kinda new to this site soo please bear with my mistake ;-; um, see you all later!**


	2. Chapter 2

"So, uh," Zoey began, deciding to break the awkward silence between everyone. She herself didn't know what to say, she just wanted to make everyone less tensed. But since she's successfully caught the hunter's attention, she had to think of something to say or she would end up looking real stupid. The hunter didn't speak but she could see, in the corner of her eyes, he was looking at her. She stared at the ground for awhile, like staring hard enough would help her start a conversation. "What's your name?" She glanced over to the tallest male in the group, which was the infected. Before he could answer, Zoey briefly added, "I just realised we haven't introduced ourselves yet!"

"Ain will be fine." The hunter shrugged with a small smile. Zoey returned one back and pointed at herself, "Zoey. And that's Bill." She hovered over to the old man, who only shot Ain a quick glance before looking away at the nearby trees. "I'm Louis." A voice called from behind. He sounded polite. And Ain appreciated the effort the man put in to make himself appear more welcoming. Ain mouthed a small 'hello' and offered a small wave at the friendly human. He actually felt happy for the first time in forever. Then came the female's gentle voice again, "And lastly, Francis."

Reluctantly, Ain turned slightly to see the grimacing man, who glared at him. He couldn't blame him for that though. He understood what he himself was and so he only bowed his head in shame before focusing back on the road. Zoey noticed the sudden change of the infected's expression and patted him on the shoulder, "We're comrades from now on." She managed to offer him the warmest smile, "That means, we have your back and you have ours too!"

Just when what seemed to be a smile was about to spread across Ain's face, Francis sneered, "Just wait until he can't even remember his own name." "Francis!" Zoey scowled and didn't turn to see the hunter because she knew that would make him feel even more uncomfortable. She sighed. Ain bit his lip and managed to hold back the forming tears in his eyes. God, how his eyes burnt.

After a few more hours of walking, a safe house finally came into sight. Zoey opened the door and held a hand up, "I'll go in and check first. You guys come later." "I'll go with you." Ain called timidly, making Francis stare at him in disbelief, "It can be real dangerous in there, it's better to have a person watching your back." "He can't be trusted! You'll just double the danger!" Francis hissed, "What if he-" "I won't. I swear." The hunter spat confidently, stepping forward to confront the angry man, who only rolled his eyes. "Alright, Ain. Um, let's go." The woman gestured him to go after her and so he jogged behind her.

"She's gonna die." Francis said as he crossed his arms. "Just...give him a chance, will you?" Louis frowned and earned a sneer from the other man, "We'll see." Francis placed his gun in place, pointing at the entrance of the house as if something would rush out, attacking all of a sudden.

* * *

"God, this place is awfully quiet." The woman stated, earning a small 'mhm' from the hunter right next to her. His eyes were anxiously fixed at the dark hallway and Zoey noticed that. "Hey, relax. This is gonna be alright." She comforted, reaching up to tug at his hoodie, to pet him. But what happened next was nothing she expected to receive from him. He snared and opened his mouth as if to bite her but quickly snapped out of such behaviour when Zoey backed up in fear. "N-No, don't." He grabbed her wrist, which only startled her even more, "I didn't mean to- Shit, I'm sorry. D-Did you want to, um." He didn't bother to explain anymore. He only proceeded to pull at his hoodie, revealing his messy blond hair and his eyes. They were in a strange pale state, but they were still vaguely blue. That must had been the 'Flu' that made them that way. He still looked human. But there were bruises on his face, which certainly hurt really bad. It was strange how he didn't talk about how painful he felt.

He left his hoodie that way and looked at Zoey for a few moments, as if waiting for something. "Hey, don't make me go begging for it." He cringed at his awful attempt of joking but still managed to keep that goofy smile of his plastered across his face. "Look, you don't have to-" "Aww, come on." The blond pouted and earned a few soft giggles from Zoey. She couldn't recall the last time being so relaxed around someone since the outbreak. She ran her fingers through his hair and he slowly closed his eyes, drowning in her smoothing touch. Her hand slowly moved to his chin and he shivered slightly when she scratched him gently. It all felt too nice to be real. He didn't want this to end.

"Aren't you just the most lovable thing ever?" In this collapsing world, no one knew when would their lives come to an end so it was nice, to have such a special, yet not ever-lasting comrade by her side. That was when a thought stopped her from enjoying the scene that seemed to last forever.

It was the snare. The one Ain released when she wanted to comfort him. What was it all about? Francis was right about how the infected's behaviour would change. It was just a matter of time. It could happen after forever, or perhaps, in a blink of eye.

Zoey squeezed her eyes shut and fought back her tears, lifting her hand away from Ain. He frowned but soon noticed her trembling form. "Zoey?" His voice was full of concern, "Are you feeling alright?" The woman nodded her head and forced a smile, "Yeah, just tired." She shrugged, "Let's get going!" She quickly smacked a hand over her lips, realising how loud she was.

Ain's eyes widened when sobbing sounds were heard. He stared at Zoey, who placed a finger on her lips, "No matter what happens, stay quiet." She whispered and slowly got her flashlight out, turning it on.

She nearly exploded in fear when Ain suddenly released a shriek. "Ain! What the fuck?" She snapped, still attempting to keep her voice low. With a swift move, the hunter pulled his hoodie over his eyes and leapt onto the wall, grasping onto one of the loosely nailed shelves. Zoey gasped softly when she realised she had irritated him with the flashlights.

"God! I'm sorry. Ain, come on, we have to go!" She apologised desperately, not bothering to hide her presence anymore.

She was looking left and right, checking if the Witch was anywhere near her. When she turned back to focus on the hunter, he'd gone missing from his original spot. "Huh? Where'd you go?" She asked worriedly and swallowed hardly, "Now is not the best time for games." She added, glancing around the room.

She jumped slightly when there was a hand on her shoulder and she turned back slowly to find her comrades. "Thank god you're here!" She sighed in relief. "We heard cries and screams, thought it'd be best for us to come in." Louis spoke, readying his gun. "Hey, where's your little hunter?" Francis asked as he scanned the room cautiously. "Guys, please don't panic but, " Zoey paused, making the three stare at her eagerly.

"Ain's gone missing and he's...in this house with us."

 **Author's note : Hello! Thank you so much for the reviews, I really love receiving them 3 I'll see you all in the next chapter !**


	3. Chapter 3

"You've got to be _fucking_ kidding me!" Francis shouted to Zoey, or no one particularly at all as he was throwing his arms in the air, his gaze set upon the walls, then the floor. He earned nothing but a loud gasp from Zoey, "Don't shout! There's a -" She was cut mid-sentenced when the crying noises ceased, soon replaced by furious shrieks. "A witch." Louis stated to himself and raised his weapon, trying to figure out where the noises were coming from. It was taking awfully long for the startled special infected to reach them. The house sure was big. "Where is the fucking thing?" Francis yelled furiously.

Just then, Zoey was tackled onto the floor, "Help! It's got me!" She stared at the raging Witch as it dug its claws into her shirt, slightly into her skin. The human screamed in pain. Gunshots were heard. She could hear her comrades yelling but she couldn't make out what they were saying. She then raised her hand up, the one holding the flashlight and prepared to attack the infected. Before she could even touch the witch. It was brought off by something real quick.

"Ain!" Zoey cried happily at the sight of him. He pinned the Witch down with one hand and bit into its neck, his free hand slashing at its stomach. The whole scene was a bloody mess. The other three survivors were watching in awe and waiting for the right time to rescue Zoey. When the hunter and Witch were at a good distance away from Zoey, Louis took the chance and rushed to Zoey, carrying her away.

It didn't take long before Ain had finished off the other. He was panting heavily. He could smell blood and was sure that it wasn't from the infected before him. The scent was quite appetising so it definitely belonged to the survivors. He turned around and saw that Zoey was waiting for him at the door. He felt a smile crept its way to his face and couldn't help but widen his smile at the sight of her. "Zoey!" He beamed. He ran as fast as he could towards the opening and collapsed into her arms. He then noticed the wound in her chest and frowned. It wasn't serious so he decided to not speak of it to her now.

"I thought you left!" Zoey cried happily. "My eyes were burning!" The hunter laughed, "I wouldn't abandon you for no reason. You didn't abandon me back there either." He tilted his head slightly. He then caught something at the corner of his eye, he saw the other three survivors in their ready positions, holding firmly onto their weapons. They were hiding behind the trees. Ain had his full attention at the three. He moved closer to Zoey and whispered, "I trusted _you_."

 **Author's note : Sorry for not updating! Been busy with school work TT_TT anyway, I hope you enjoyed!**


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